


Eight times the joker was soft (For his daughter)

by DangerRollins



Category: Suicide Squad (2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-11 21:40:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10475028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DangerRollins/pseuds/DangerRollins
Summary: The clown prince of crime shows his soft side often when it comes to his daughter.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is hella long. Sorry! I broke it up into parts when I posted it on wattpad but...Ya know. Enjoy!

1\. "Are you serious daddy?" London questioned, sounding exasperated. Joker cackled crazily waving the guns around wildly as he did, causing his daughter to duck and dodge every time his hands moved. "Oh darling, that reminds me of-"

"Yes yes, why so serious? The famous question- I know." She rolled her eyes. "Put the guns down." She demanded bravely. Her father scared the hell out of her most times, yes, but no matter how afraid she was of him she knew there was no reason to be. London wasn't sure of much of anything at this point, but the one thing she knew for sure was that her dad would never hurt her. No matter how badly he wanted to at that. He continued cackling and shook his head, but his laughter stopped when the ten-year-old spoke again. "NOW, DADDY!"

His too wide grin fell and he rolled his eyes after looking at her for a while longer and then put the guns down on the table in front of them. "Thank you." She smiled. Joker leaned forward quickly, glaring at her and letting what sounded like a snarl escape him, causing her to quit smiling almost as soon as she'd started. "I brought you here because you wanted to be here, But I can send you back home with some of my goons if you continue to ruin my plans." He muttered quickly. "Understood?"

London sighed and looked down to hide the tears that were already building up. "I just wanted to spend time with you. You're never home." She nearly whispered. Joker didn't show how sad her small voice had made him. Instead, he let out a long, loud breath, leaned back and rolled his eyes towards the ceiling before turning his back to her so he could face his henchmen. "Pack up the explosives boys. No fun for us tonight."

London grinned as she stared up at her dad. Maybe he did care about her after all.

***********

2\. "I didn't know anybody could be this dumb until I met you!" Rodney cackled along with his friends as he stood in front of London who was sat in the corner of the classroom, feeling absolutely helpless. "Leave me alone, Rod." She whispered, unable to find her voice. She was scared. The teacher had gone off to the bathroom a whole ten minutes ago, leaving London alone with a class full of bullies. "Leave me alone." He mocked in a high pitched voice. "What are you gonna do if I don't?" He questioned, squatting so that he could be face to face with her. She pushed her head into the corner as far as it could go, but his face was still extremely close to hers. He had a scar on his lip, from a fight, and one on his forehead because his father had cut him with a knife. His eyes were deep brown, but they weren't comforting. They had a certain fire in them, one that she didn't like.

"The teacher will be back any minute." She stated although she wasn't quite sure. "You'll get in trouble-" He cut her off by letting out a slight chuckle and then shoving her face back with the palm of his hand. She bumped her head hard against the wall, causing her to let out a slight groan, but he wasn't done. He was just getting started.

He yanked her up by her hair and shoved her back into the sharp corner of the teacher's desk. Fat tears fell down her cheeks before she could even think of stopping them, and she was yelling on the inside. Why was she so weak?

Rodney shoved her to the floor again and climbed on top of her. "You are pathetic, London. You will always be my favorite little punching bag. You'll never do anything about it. You'll never tell anyone, you'll never defend yourself, you'll never do anything but cry. You're weak and-" London had had enough of this. She was sick of the way he and all his friends treated her. She was sick of getting picked on.

"Stop it!" She shouted before kneeing him in his area. He let out a groan which caused the twelve-year-old to smirk. He thought she was weak? Well, she was far from it! She hopped on top of him and started throwing punches left and right. He was trying to block them but she moved his arms out of the way and started hitting him again. She heard one of his friends run out of the room to get someone, but she didn't stop. She was far from done with him.

Letting out a few giggles, she got up, pulling him up with her. She began to bang his head against the desk repeatedly until she heard the sound of someone gasping and letting out a loud shriek. She looked up and saw the principal and a few other teachers standing there, all looking shocked or angry. "Into my office, now!" The principal yelled, red in the face. London laughed and shook her head. Of course, she'd get in trouble for defending herself. Isn't that always how it works?

*****

"-You could have killed him! He was bleeding profusely and you'll be lucky if his mother doesn't sue you." Mr. Spragland yelled. London stared blank faced at her principal as he rambled. "We've contacted your parent and I'm sure you'll be in more trouble than imaginable when he gets here-" London tuned him out then. Trouble? HA! Joker would be proud of her. Beyond proud, even. In what alternate universe would he ever punish her for causing someone else harm?

"You should be expelled from this school but I am one to give second chances-" Mr. Spragland was cut off by the sound of the door to his office being slammed open. The harsh sound caused even London to jump. In the doorway stood a very angry looking joker and some of his henchmen. "I was attending to important business, so this had better be good." He spat, sending a glare towards the scared looking man.

"J-Joker? He- What- He's you're d-dad?" He stuttered out. London crossed one of her legs over the other one. "Mhm." She smirked. "Don't keep me waiting." Joker hissed, walking into the office quickly.

"Y-Your daughter was in a fight- Well she was- She hurt one of our other students he- She didn't- I'm sorry this must be a joke." Mr. Spragland cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. "I can't believe-"

"Are you okay, princess?"Joker asked turning to look at his daughter. He squatted down so he could get a better look at her face, and ran his thumb softly along her bruised cheek. His face softened as he noticed that she flinched away from his touch, obviously, the bruise was hurting. "Who did this to you?" He asked softly. "I took care of it." She answered him. She'd never kept tabs on how many people her dad had killed, or what kind of people they were. She wasn't sure if he'd ever killed any kids her age before, and she wasn't looking to find out and she certainly didn't wanna be the cause of someone's death, so she would not be telling her father who'd beaten her up today.

"That she did." Mr. Spragland spat, now over his initial shock. "Your daughter broke his nose, busted his lip, and fractured his jaw. While I've decided against expelling her, she does still need to be punished. I think a month of suspension and then a month of detention will be fine, yes?"

"No." Joker said, standing up straight again. "No?" Mr. Spragland asked. "No." Joker stated again. "London doesn't cause any harm to anyone unless it's absolutely necessary. She will not be punished for this." He defended her, causing her to smile. "Excuse me? Sir,-"

"Either my daughter goes unpunished for this incident or I blow up this school with you and all the other shitheads inside it. Take your pick, and make your decision fast." Joker growled. Mr. Ragland whimpered and slid down in his seat. "She- She won't be punished, sir." He mumbled. "Good." Joker smiled. "London, darling, please go wait in the car. I have some business to attend to with your dear principal."

London left without question. Before she could even make it to the car, she heard loud yelling and a few gunshots. Well, at least she would no longer have to deal with her shitty principal.

*********** 

3\. "Daddy..." London nearly whispered as she slowly walked down the long hallway, heading towards the living room. She'd been woken up by the loud commotion, and although she knew it was probably better to just stay in her room and mind her own business, she'd grown curious. What exactly did her dad do to his...victims? As she got closer to the large living room she was able to hear what he was saying. "-And you just remember that I'm not doing this just for my own fun. If I was I would've taken my time playing with you. No no no no no no no no-" He muttered before laughing crazily. London could only see the back of his head but she knew he was wearing his signature large grin as he spoke. He was fidgeting around wildly and waving a gun around, as usual. His men were staring at him and whoever he was speaking to. "-I'm doing this because of the one and only batman. Batsy that- That self-proclaimed superhero. Hahaha-" Joker bent over as he laughed even louder. "Out of all the jokes I've heard, out of all the jokes I've told. The funniest joke is-It's batman himself." He chuckled. "Hero?" Joker was nearly wheezing at this point. "Where is he? Where is your hero? He isn't here! I don't see him is he, is he invisible now?" Joker cackled loudly but London could still hear the man pleading with him. "Please don't, don't, please Joker, I-I have a daughter at home, she's twelve-" The same age as London. "-She doesn't have a mom she-" 'Just like me' London thought to herself.

Between her dad's constant cackling and the sound of the man begging for his life- it was all just too much for London. She'd planned to turn around and head back to her room, She'd planned to just go back to sleep, but she was just too late. Her dad's laughing didn't falter at all as he shoved his gun into the man's mouth and pulled the trigger. London let out a small sob as she backed away. She couldn't believe her eyes. She'd never seen someone die, she'd never seen somebody's head exploding-

Joker turned quickly when he heard the strange sound and his eyes nearly bulged out of his head as he saw his daughter standing there, her hand covering her mouth, her whole body shaking with fear. "London-" he took a step forward but he quickly stopped when she screamed. "No!" She shouted. She just kept screaming, as if she was being stabbed repeatedly. She couldn't talk. All she could do was scream.

"London, Its okay-" He tried again but once again when he took a step forward she took one back. She wasn't looking at him, she was looking at the blood covered weapon in his hand. He quickly threw it down onto a nearby table and put his hands up in surrender. "I won't hurt you Lonni, you know that." He whispered. "W-Why?!" She yelled. "Why can't you b-be normal? Why do you have to d-do that?" She asked. "He had a daughter- He had a life! His daughter was- She was m-my age I-" she couldn't talk anymore.

She backed away slowly, shaking her head at him. "I'll never forget this." She spat. She looked over him, noticing he had splatters of blood all over him. Until now she always thought she was safe with him. Was he crazy? Insane? Yes. Did he kill people on a daily basis just for the fun of it? Yes. But did he lay a finger on her? Did he ever threaten her, did he do anything but love her? No. No he didn't. But if he was willing to kill this man- This man who had a daughter who had no mother, so easily. Well he may as well have killed this man's daughter too. And if he'd kill that man's daughter, the one so much like London herself, well...

London shook her head and turned, running down the hall and back to her room. She flopped down on her bed and started sobbing uncontrollably.

Joker looked down at himself and shook his head. This was the first time, and most likely the last, that he'd ever felt any type of remorse for killing someone. His daughter hadn't told him what she was thinking, but he already knew. Now she was afraid of him because she thought he didn't care about this man's daughter, the one in the same predicament as London herself.

He sighed and ran his hands down his face. "Daughters are somehow the best and worst at the same exact time, boys." He groaned. "Go home. Now." His henchmen didn't waste a single second. They all marched towards the door as fast as their legs could carry them. When they were all gone, Joker took off his blood drenched shirt and slid out of his shoes. He rubbed his hair back and peeked his head inside his daughter's room.

He gulped before climbing into bed with her, pulling the sheets over them softly and pushing her head into the nape of his neck. She didn't fight him but her crying didn't stop. He felt her tears trickling down his neck and he sighed. "If I had to live life without you I'd go mad...Well I'm already mad...But this isn't the worst I could be." He spoke softly, trying not to upset her anymore. "Believe it or not I used to be worse. But then you came along and-" "Ruined your fun." She stated sarcastically before letting out a hiccup. "Made me want to live." He corrected her. "The killing is still fun. Casting a dark, smokey cloud over Gotham on even the sun-shiniest of days is still the most pleasing sensation I've ever felt. I still want that damn bat to suffer-" He quickly calmed himself down. "But you, my little monster, you're my world. I live for you. And that is not an easy thing to do."

"You wouldn't...You wouldn't really ever..." London sniffles, unable to even say the words, but he knew what she was getting at. "I'd kill anybody in this entire world without a second thought. All except for you."

***********

4\. London tossed and turned in her bed trying to find a comfortable position but failing miserably. First she felt like she was laying on a bed full of ice and then she felt like she was on fire and then she felt both at the same time. She'd tried to go to bed early to escape the annoyance of being sick, but that backfired because whenever she tried going to sleep before 10:00 she always stayed up the whole night, unable to get to sleep. Now at 3am she didn't know what to do with herself. She couldn't stay in this bed for a second longer.

With a loud, aggravated groan, London slid off her bed and walked slowly toward her door. She knew that her dad hated when she woke him up, but surely he wouldn't mind tonight since she was so sick, and it was because of him. If he hadn't been speeding around Gotham in that damned purple car with the windows all the way down when it was only forty degrees out, she wouldn't be coughing up her lungs and sneezing out all her fluids now.

London slid into her dad's room and hopped onto his bed, staring at him. "Dad!" She whisper yelled. When he didn't stir she rolled her eyes and slapped at his face, but still nothing. He slept like he'd been knocked out by a boulder. God forbid anything bad ever happened while he was cat napping. "DADDY!" She yelled hitting at his chest. She shook him roughly, trying to get him to wake up, but he only let out a small snore and then turned on his side. London sighed.

"DAD!" She yelled again. This time, he opened his eyes, wide as ever and without a second thought took a gun from underneath his pillow and pointed it right at her nose. "Dad it's me!" She yelled out quickly. He blinked a few times before hurriedly shoving the gun under his pillow again. "London!" He spat angrily. "How many times have I asked you not to wake me up when I'm in such a deep sleep? I could've blown your brains out and then- What's wrong?" He huffed. "Are you hurt? Is someone in the house?" He asked. She shook her head. "No, I just don't feel good."

"You don't- You don't feel good? You woke me up just to tell me you don't feel good?" He asked in disbelief. "Go back to your room. Now." He commanded. London pouted. "No. I don't want to be alone and I can't sleep."

"Well what do you want me to do?" He asked. He looked at her face a little harder and noticed how pale she was. Her cheeks were a little redder than usual, Her eyes glazed over. She really did look sick. "Come here princess." He sighed, opening his arms so she could hug him. "I'm sorry you don't feel good. My fault I guess." He chuckled a little. "Yes it is." She agreed.

"Well I'm sorry." He rolled his eyes. "Tomorrow we can spend the day watching your favorite movies and eating junk food." "Okay." London grinned. Joker smiled a little, pulling his daughter closer. Despite being thirteen now, London hadn't changed a bit. The first time she'd come into his room because she was feeling too sick to rest she was five years old. She continued to do that up until she was around nine and then she just stopped. Joker didn't realize how much he missed it until now. He wasn't expecting his now teenaged daughter to need him to comfort her when she was sick, but she did. He'd never admit it, but he'd never get tired of her needing him and he'd never be as annoyed with her as he acted. She would always be his little girl.

*****

"Get her some of her favorite chips and some of her favorite ice cream too. Vanilla. Oh and cookies and cream." Joker spoke quickly to one of his men as he looked through the fridge. "Pick up some medicine too and- She likes stuffed animals. If you can find one of those stuffed giraffes or maybe an owl-She's an odd kid, She likes every stuffed animal there is except for bears. Get a lot of candy, mostly skittles and those little ring pops-" Joker looked up and noticed the dumb looking man was looking at him like he'd lost his mind for the billionth time. "What?" He questioned.

"I've just never...You've never...She's turning you all soft." The man chuckled a little before stopping once he noticed the serious face the Joker was wearing. That face disappeared when Joker brought out his terrifying grin and let out a loud laugh. "If she wasn't in the living room waiting I would've shot you the second you said that. Count your blessings, friend. Well...She is your blessing." His whole body shook as he laughed loudly for a few moments before grabbing a nearby knife and swiftly stabbing the man in the throat. He covered his mouth so he wouldn't be too loud and eased him down to the floor before standing straight again. "What the little one doesn't know won't hurt her." He smirked. He'd call another one of his men to clean up this mess and get all the stuff he wanted in a few minutes.

London sat on the couch waiting patiently for her dad to return from the kitchen. She heard some talking, some laughing and then a loud thud and she rolled her eyes. Another henchmen gone. If her dad kept this up soon enough he'd have no loyal men left.

He came back a few moments later, trying to look as innocent as possible. London rolled her eyes and patted the spot next to her. "What are we watching first? Mulan or the princess and the frog?" She asked. Joker groaned. "Why can't we watch something with gore?" He smirked. "Disney movies are not-" "Disney movies are what girls who've gotten sick because their daddies are maniacs, and drive like so, watch to make themselves feel better. Disney movies are what daddies who drive too fast with windows all the way down in forty degree weather have to sit through. Now I ask again. Mulan or Princess and the frog?" She cut him off. He glared at her before huffing. "The one about the frog I guess." He grumbled. "Mulan it is." London smirked. Joker rolled his eyes. Always going against him, she was.

*********** 

5\. "Oh Mistah J you sure know how to make a woman happy!" Harley squealed in her annoying accent as her and Joker walked towards the car. She clung to his arm and rubbed her body on his, like a kitten trying to claim it's property. London rolled her eyes and slid down in her seat. Harley had somehow slithered her way back into Joker's life and London was miserable.

Harley could be cool at times but more times than not she was just an annoyance. Either she was squealing too loudly, Letting out random outbursts, Clinging to Joker or even clinging to London herself. Somehow, she thought she had motherly responsibilities and was always trying to give London advice. London had been trying to give Harley a fair chance up until she decided to give London the talk. Then, London decided, she would never be anything more than one more wack job to deal with.

"London, honey, would you mind hoppin' in the back so I can sit right next to my puddin?" She squeaked sending London a large smile. London raised her brow and looked toward her dad who shrugged his shoulder. "Oh you've ridden in the front seat more than enough. Why don't you let Harl take the big girl seat."

London huffed and took off her seatbelt before climbing to the back of the car- Something she knew annoyed her dad. He loved his precious car and hated when she climbed all through it instead of just getting out to change seats. With a proud sigh, London sat in the middle of the backseat.

"Where are we going anyway?" London asked curiously. Usually, she was unwilling to step foot in the car without knowing exactly where they were headed off to. Her dad had a habit of doing drivebys just because and she didn't wanna be in the car when it happened, but this time she asked no questions when he told her to go get in the car, she thought he was simply trying to get her out of the house before she witnessed what she liked to call play time for grown-ups. She'd already seen Harley shoving her tongue down Joker's throat before and she was not trying to see it again.

"Oh, my sweet child of rage, we're going shopping!" Joker exclaimed excitedly. London shook her head and put her head in her hands. Shopping with her dad was always embarrassing. He always made a point to steal things, not that he needed to. He was filthy rich.

"Where?" She questioned.

"The jewelry store. Harley wants another ring." He cackled.

*****

"You know, I'm sorry about this, honestly." London sighed as she spoke to the scared cashier. "He gets like this every time we go anyplace nice, I swear." She huffed shaking her head to herself. "You know how dads are. Always out to embarrass their kids. It's their only goal in life, I would say."

The cashier jumped and shuddered as the sound of glass shattering right behind him traveled through the whole store. Joker pointed a finger at the man jokingly and tsked. "Don't get too close to my daughter. She may not bite but I sure do." He laughed before moving on to the next area of the store.

"Oh puddin' this one is perfect!" Harley shouted as she punched a glass case and then pulled out a golden ring. "Oh I think I'm in love all over again!" She mumbled to herself. "Why don't you grab yourself something, Lonni?"

London shrugged before looking at the guy behind the register. "You know, I've really never been one for jewelry. It's too hard to keep up with and I don't know I just- I don't wear it often myself." She said softly as she walked around the counter. "I think I'd rather take the money instead if that's alright with you. I like to be normal just like everybody else. This isn't really my style. I like to actually buy things." She rolled her eyes.

"M-Most people get jobs to get money. This isn't r-really...Normal."

"Well, now I'm hurt." London frowned. "I could be running around here kicking over glass cases like them but here I am being all polite. It's not like I threatened to kill ya if I didn't get the money. I swear my manners get taken for granted all the time." She mumbled as she slowly counted the money. Her eyes lit up. "It's endless." She laughed. "I'll only take around four thousand. You can keep the rest." She offered.

"Thanks." The man muttered sarcastically. She flipped him off. "Now I'm taking five thousand because you've been so rude...Maybe this can go towards my college fund. Maybe I'll take up psychology." She cackled loudly.

*********** 

6\. "Dad!" London shouted, stomping into the kitchen. Joker sighed, turning to shoot her a look of annoyance. She was interrupting his planning. "What is it?" He huffed. She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at him. "Tell Nick to quit following me." She growled, stomping her foot. He scoffed and shook his head at her. "I'm serious!" She pouted. "Every time I turn a corner he's there waiting for me. I don't remember your henchmen ever being this annoying. Call him off."

"No can do my sweet child of rage." He smirked. "You take after your daddy which means you are a mischievous being. I can't have you trying to skip out on our plans for tonight, now can I?" He asked. She sighed and muttered a quick 'No' to which he responded in a mocking whisper "No, no I can't."

"We both know how this will go, Joker." She smirked, knowing it annoyed him when she called him by his name. "You'll entertain the men who owe you money for a short time before pulling out your gun and shooting the place up." The fifteen-year-old mumbled. "I don't wanna be there to witness it, especially when I could be out with friends-"

"Friends? Pardon me. I wasn't aware my loner daughter had made friends." Joker cackled wildly and Nick, who was stood around the corner, let out a chuckle too. "In my day, dissecting Barbie dolls and suffocating fish didn't make anybody any friends." He laughed. She rolled her eyes. "One time." She muttered.

"I wouldn't invite you if I planned to kill someone." He said seriously after he was done with his cackling fit. "I guess." She mumbled. Okay so she did know that, but she was only trying to make up an excuse to get out of going to what she assumed would be a lame 'dinner party' tonight. It would consist of a bunch of fake adults being fake nice as they waved around their fake jewelry and showed off their fake relationships.

"Why don't you want to go?" Joker asked curiously. "You and I both know you don't have any friends." "And I've got you to thank for that." She spat before slumping down in the seat next to him. "...Boys suck." She mumbled, blushing a little. "Oh yes yes yes they do and how dare you assume otherwise." Joker started his rambling as he leaned forward. "So that's why you've been so upset lately? Stomping around here, yelling at my men, threatening to shoot me?" He asked. "Because of some boy? You're too young for a boyfriend and you don't need any man in your life other than me."

"I didn't threaten to shoot you." She rolled her eyes. Joker gave her a look. If he remembered correctly, the conversation had gone like this; 'You need to get out of the house, Lonni, I've got business-' "I'm not leaving this house anytime soon." She spat bitterly. "There's no place to go. Not anymore." He groaned and rolled his shoulders, trying to get the tension out of them. 'Go get me another gun, I think this ones out of bullets." He muttered to one of his henchmen as he gestured toward the gun that was lying on the table. "Want me to test it out for you?" London asked through gritted teeth, upset that her dad was now ignoring her. Joker raised his brows and slowly moved the gun away from her.

"It wasn't a threat." London repeated herself. "You're too sensitive." Joker laughed dryly at that. "Who is he?" He asked her. "Just a guy I know." She shrugged. "Stop being so secretive." He nearly whined. "I wouldn't do much to him. Wouldn't kill him. Most people survive a shot to the leg."

"Shots to the arm work too." Nick chimed in. Joker nodded in agreement before London stood up and threw her hands in the air. "Nobody is getting shot!" She shouted. "It's nothing. He just...Doesn't like me like I like him. It happens." She rolled her eyes. Joker winced slightly. He knew how emotional his daughter was and he knew this was probably killing her. She was probably questioning everything she did at this point, trying to figure out why exactly this guy didn't like her. She was torturing herself.

"Some boys are born with the ability to see and others aren't." He stated simply. "Yeah yeah, I know. He's blind if he doesn't see how fantastic I am." London huffed. "Well yes but I was going to say that I could blind him-"

"I'm going to my room!"

*************

7\. "I'm beginning to think that people aren't as afraid of me as they used to be." Joker mumbled as he paced the floor. London flipped through one of her magazines and let out a yawn before replying. "Perhaps because they're not." He quit pacing only for a second to shoot her a glare and then got back to it. "I need to do something, something big that will let everyone know who's in charge. Even my own men are starting to disobey me. They think- They think they can come and go as they please, do whatever they want. Two of the bastards even tried to rob me!" He shouted. "Maybe next time you'll decide against hiring professional bank robbers as henchmen." London snickered before she cut it off with a fake cough. She sighed a little as she continued to flip through the magazine. As much as she hated to admit it, she'd become immune to what her dad did. It didn't shock her anymore and she didn't spend hours and days and weeks dwelling on it like she used to. She used to try to figure him out- try to decode him and his reasoning. How does one grow up to be...The Joker? A cold-blooded killer who found humor in his crime. London couldn't picture herself ever taking anybody's life and she certainly couldn't picture doing it on the daily, just for amusement. But she was used to her dad doing what he did and she no longer questioned it...Well not much.

Crime was like breath for the Joker. He just simply couldn't live without it. London's theory was that Joker really was sane, just not in the same way as other people. In his world, he was sane. Normal, regular. But if ever he decided not to kill or wreak havoc, he'd be absolutely insane. London snapped out of her thoughts and cleared her throat. Joker was still muttering endlessly to himself and pulling at his green hair. London felt bad for him. He obviously thought he was losing control and it was killing him.

"You're still the most feared criminal in all of Gotham, Joker." London stated softly. "But if you really wanna strike some fear into these mouth breathers you had better change up your plans." London wasn't sure if he heard her because he was still muttering and he wasn't looking at her, and in fact she hoped he couldn't because what she was about to do was something she never thought she'd do before. She was going to give him some ideas. She took a breath and then started speaking again as quietly as she could. "Time after time you do the drive bys, you go to your clubs and you shoot the people in them, you rob the banks, you go after Batman. I wouldn't say your next moves are predictable but people have learned to expect absolutely anything from you. You've got to think inside the box. You've been thinking outside the box this whole time but eventually, even the outside becomes too closed in. Think inside the box, dad. I'm not saying you should just go to the old folks home and put poison in their food. I'm not saying you should turn to killing animals- If you do I'll never speak to you again- I'm not saying to push a child off their bike-All I'm saying is that simple crimes are usually the worst ones."

When she was done talking she noticed her dad had stopped his muttering and started staring at her. He grinned and gave her a slow clap before sliding smoothly next to her on the couch, getting close to her face which made her back away. He was acting crazier than usual and it was really cutting into her me time. "Why I had no idea that my very own daughter was a criminal mastermind." He teased. "Now imagine this-" He grabbed her shoulder and squished her up against him as he held a hand out toward the ceiling as if he was showing her a picture. "Massacre. Two massacres. THREE MASSACRES! FOUR! NOBODY KNOWS JUST HOW MANY MORE!" He shouted before laughing as he leaned back into the couch. London sighed and got up to head to her room.

"Schools are off limits and I wasn't kidding about those animals. If I find out you were the cause of even just one dead pet-" "Animals are off limits yes yes yes." Joker nodded.

*****  
"-Joker was seen speeding away from the scene of the crime, laughing and acting more unstable than usual. This is the fourth burning building within a two day time period, and this sudden, intense violence is only getting started. We spoke to who claimed to be one of Joker's men today and he said and I quote 'Joker has resurrected himself. Reinvented himself. He has big plans for the future and the future looks HOT!' We take this time to openly plead with the clown prince of crime-" London shook her head and turned down the tv before looking down at the floor. She blinked a few times before letting out a defeated sigh. Why had she done it? Why had she given him ideas? Why did she open up her big mouth? She felt like she was the one who'd set the buildings on fire. She felt like she was responsible for all the people now dead because of the fires- because well, she was.

"I killed them." She whispered to herself. "No doll, I believe that was me." Joker said as he walked into her room to sit next to her. He didn't say anything for a while, he just studied her. She was blinking rapidly and wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt every now and then. Her breathing was just a few short gasps here and there. He looked away from her and down at his hands as he began to speak. "This life is...Its wild. It's complicated. It's um...It isn't normal." He muttered. "I know that this is...Its though because you've only got one parent and he's...Well you know. I raised you around henchmen and criminals. I wasn't always here when I needed to be cause I was out shooting at guys who owed me money or robbing a bank or something." He sighed. "I know it affects you a lot. I know you question it and you want it to stop. It's- Well I don't know what to say. For once I'm at a loss for words."

London listened closely, now staring at her dad who was still looking down. "I try my best to balance this out. I can't make up for all the times I've scared you or made you cry. I can't pretend I'm normal and that our life is all rainbows and shooting stars. I guess I try to make it up to you by buying you everything and letting you do what you want mostly...I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you. I don't think I've ever just apologized for...This. You didn't ask for it." He sniffled a little before clearing his throat. London's eyes widened. She'd never seen him cry. Well he wasn't crying but...This was close enough!

"Listen, I just want you to be happy and safe and I want you to have everything that you want and everything that you need. Ugh...I know it's too much to handle sometimes and I know sometimes you just want to get away. If you ever wanted to leave...Stop living with me-"

"You're my hero." London blurted out. Joker finally looked up and gave her a questioning look, causing her to nod. "Yeah. Who else would I look up to? The guy in the Halloween costume who runs around here like he's some big hero? Yeah right." She scoffed. "What does he even do? Cause he certainly ain't saving Gotham from you." She smirked pushing him a little. "But you...You mean what you say and you say what you mean. You've never made a promise that you couldn't keep. Never lied. Not to me." She smiled. "Yes I have-" "Dont take it too literally." London cut him off quickly. "I just mean...Yes it's too much sometimes. And it's hard to deal with but you're my dad and I look up to you. Thank you for doing all that you can for me. Thanks for not abandoning me. Thank you for trying and thank you for caring." She smiled before giving him a big hug. Joker closed his eyes and smiled, enjoying the moment. "Thank you for being the best daughter there could ever be." He whispered.

*********** 

8\. Joker rubbed at his temples and let out a defeated sigh as he leaned forward in his chair and stared at his daughter. She looked like she was in pain even while she was sleeping. Her face was scrunched up a little, her eyebrows furrowed. She looked like she was having a terrible dream and after all she'd gone through tonight, she probably was.

Her face was all scratched up, her body, looking incredibly pale, showed off the large purple and blue bruises that were already forming on her skin. He could see the small purple veins that were on her eyelids. Her chest was rising and falling incredibly slowly, and if he didn't stare hard enough he could barely tell if she was breathing or not.

He grabbed her cold hand and held it in his before letting out a long breath. "You're only 16." He stated. It's all he could think of at the time. 16. She's only 16. 16 years old. 1-6. A teenager. Too young to die. Too young to know such pain. Too young.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled. "It's all the stupid bat's fault." He growled. He shook his head to himself after a moment. "Okay. It isn't. It's all my fault. I put you at risk. I'm the reason you're in the hospital room. I'm the reason you're broken and bruised...I don't know why I'm so stupid. Why did I take you with me? I knew I'd be fighting Batman tonight. I knew everything would go to shit. I knew there'd be shooting and fighting and bombs and...I brought you along anyway. I should've told you no. Should've made you stay at home." He sucked in a breath, trying his best not to cry.

"I've promised you so many times, London, that'd i'd never hurt you and that i'd never kill you. But if you die because of this incident, London...I will have broken that promise." His voice cracked midsentence and he shook his head. He couldn't talk anymore right now. He was too choked up. He just kept seeing it over and over again...

***

London glanced around the room nervously and stood on her tippy toes, trying to find her dad. Despite his odd appearance, he sure could disappear quite easily when he wanted to. London couldn't see him no matter where she looked. Everyone was packed in this huge room like sardines and it was giving her anxiety. Everywhere she looked, there was a new face to see, all smiling too widely or looking mischevious. People were breaking into fights left and right and London had nearly been hit four times in the last ten minutes.

With an exasperated sigh, she decided to just take a seat at a nearby table. When her dad was ready to go, he'd find her. They'd just gotten here about thirty minutes ago anyway, so that wouldn't be anytime soon.

She sat there for a few minutes, alone and looking absolutely miserable as she watched all the chaos, but it wasn't long before a boy her age walked up to her and made himself comfortable at her table. She raised her brows and scanned the room again. She had to make sure that her dad and his henchmen were still nowhere to be found before she indulged in what she assumed would be a good conversation with this cute boy. When she discovered that they were still indeed out of sight, she smiled and turned to face him again.

"Well hello." She grinned. He chuckled a little and waved. "Hi. I'm Rod." He smiled, holding out his hand. London's smile faltered only for a second before she shook his hand. Rod. As in... "You look kind of familiar but I can't figure out why." He said. She mentally cursed. So it was him. Her old bully. "I don't think we've ever met before." London shrugged innocently.

She planned to mess with him good tonight.

***

London had spent half the night talking to Rod. She'd learned that he was an even bigger asshole now than he was when they were younger. He wouldn't stop talking about himself for even just a second. He bragged about all of his achievements-Not that the majority of them were anything to brag over anyways- and was rude to the woman who was walking around offering drinks. London had originally planned to get him to talk about some of his secrets or at least give her some information that she could use to ruin his entire life!-But he wouldn't quit being shallow long enough for that. So when she was finally tired of listening to him ramble, she drank a bit of the wine that was in her glass and then threw the rest of it at him, causing him to curse loudly.

She didn't stick around to see what he did after that. Instead, she got up, grabbed her coat and headed toward the middle of the room. At this point it had been three whole hours since she'd seen her dad and she was getting a little worried. It wasn't often that he left her like this and he certainly didn't do it without having at least two of his henchmen by her side while he was away. She hated to admit it but she had a gut feeling. Something was wrong.

Getting through the crowd of large people was tough, but she somehow managed to get through them so she could get to the exit. She wanted to go outside to get some fresh air, but as soon as she opened the door she was grabbed. She let out a little screech as she was pulled behind the building, the guy who had grabbed her now covering her mouth with his hands.

"Scream and you die!" He mumbled gruffly before removing his hand. She turned around to get a good look at him, but it wasn't anybody that she recognized. "Touch me again and you die." She spat. "What are you doing? Why are we back here? What do you want from me? I don't have anything, honest! Do you know who my dad is? If he finds out you laid a single fat finger on me he's gonna cut you up with a chainsaw and throw your fucking limbs in a river! Or maybe if he's feeling crafty he'll feed you to the piranhas-"

"Shut up!" The guy whisper yelled. "You talk too much! Listen-"

He was cut off by the sound of a single gunshot. He dropped to the ground in front of her and her eyes widened. She turned around, expecting to see her dad, but it wasn't him. Standing there was a bulky man with his gun pointed right at her. London didn't know what in the hell was going on, but she did know that she was going to die if her dad didn't pop up soon. "What do you want?" She asked, holding her hands up in defense as she slowly walked toward him. "Money?" She questioned. "Revenge?" "I want your dad-" Go figure. "-And if I don't get him in the next five minutes, well then I guess you can say bye bye to your little life." As if.

"I'm not sure where he is but-" London cut herself off by kicking his nuts and snatching his gun. She was not going to be some damsel in distress. She wasn't gonna let some random man decide if she was going to live or die. And she wanted her daddy to come and protect her like he usually did but she certainly didn't need him to. No, all she needed was a weapon and now she had it.

"You gonna shoot me, princess?" The guy smirked, noticing how her hands trembled. "Go ahead." "Well let the record show that you gave me your permission." She sassed before shooting at his leg. He fell down with a loud shout and she breathed heavily. She'd just shot someone. And she did it like it was nothing. She pulled the trigger without a second thought. Her heart ached as she thought about doing it again.

I'm just protecting myself right? She questioned herself. I'm not like him. I'll never be like him. I would never harm someone or kill someone just because I can. I'd never...I'd never pull the trigger unless there was a bullet with purpose in the gun. I'm not like him I'll never be like him.

But is it so bad to be like him? He's amazing. He's feared. He's followed. He's even loved. There are people out there like him. People respect him, they worship him, they'd do anything for him. Everybody knows his name. He's got a legacy. He's the most talked about person in all of Gotham. He's important.

I want to be important too...How great that must feel. To be needed and even wanted. I crave the respect that he has. But I have to earn it if I want it so bad. If I killed this man right now, when dad finds out...He'll give me that look. That look that he wears when he's so proud of me. Wide smile and it reaches his eyes too. When he's proud he gives me a big hug or he playfully punches my little nose. He'd respect me if I did this. I'd be closer to him if I did this. He'd approve-

I don't need his approval. I've already got it. He's already proud of me. He's never in his life even insinuated that he wants me to be like him. Maybe he even wants me to be the exact opposite. He loves me the way I am. He's my dad. He'd love me no matter what. I don't need to do this. Okay, so that's that. I don't need to do this. That's settled. Now the main question. Do I want to?

No. No, I can't want to. That'd be wrong. Evil. I shouldn't wanna kill this man. He has a life. He's a son, maybe a brother maybe an uncle maybe even a father. He's somebody's best friend. Somebody's coworker. He has a life and it cannot be taken for no reason.

But he's here. He's here threatening to kill teenagers. He's not at home with his wife or his kids if he's got 'em. He isn't at work. He isn't being a productive citizen. He's a criminal and that's pretty obvious. He tried to end my life. MY LIFE. He thinks he can hurt me? Thinks he can just threaten me? Thinks he can just run over me huh? Is that what everybody thinks? They think they can just disrespect me like that? Well, I guess being the joker's daughter just isn't enough then. Not anymore. Used to be that I could flash my title- tell everybody who my dad is and all my problems go away. Not anymore, nah. Guess I gotta prove myself now. You wanna fuck with me? You can't fuck with me. Bad idea, yeah it is. Not cause of who my daddy is but because of who I am. I'm London. Nobody can disrespect London.

London hadn't realized she'd been speaking out loud. She thought this was all in her head but it wasn't. And by now the man had gotten up. He probably could've taken the gun from her while she was distracted but it was still pointed at him so he didn't want to risk it-And by now Joker and some of his men, tired from a scuffle with Batman, were here watching too. Joker's eyes were wide. He'd never seen his daughter looking so much like...Him. She looked like she was going nuts. She was shaking, she was muttering to herself, she was...This wasn't her.

Joker felt a terrible sinking feeling in his gut. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd driven her to act like this...Well of course he had. She'd finally cracked. All his influence was bound to get to her. This was all his fault. He hated seeing her this way. "London." He breathed, trying to get her attention. She was still talking to herself. He stepped closer to her swiftly and the sudden movement made her turn quickly to point the gun at him. "Don't. Not another step." She growled. He held his hands up. "You wouldn't shoot your own dad, would ya toots?" The guy asked curiously. "I bet doing that might help you prove yourself..." He tried to convince her. Joker glared at him but then turned to focus on London again. "It's me baby girl." He mumbled softly. "You put that gun down. No need to be so worked up. It's only me." She wasn't moving the gun. "I-I-"

"Let me talk." Joker told her. "You need to listen to me. Are you listening?" He asked. She didn't answer. "Darling, are you listening?" He repeated. She nodded slowly. "I shouldn't have brought you here tonight. It's too much for you to handle-"

"IT'S NOT!" She yelled. "It is." He remained calm. "I can't keep exposing you to all this shit. Witnessing people die. Constant fighting. Constant threats. I used to try to shield you from it and I've slacked up on that and I'm sorry. This isn't where you need to be. You need to be at home in your bed watching a movie or sleeping peacefully or- I don't know. You just don't need to be around this. I'm sorry, truly. From the bottom of my heart. I was wrong to bring you here and get you involved. Do you forgive me?" He asked her. She nodded slowly again before lowering the gun. She broke down crying as she ran to hug him tightly. He picked her up and started to carry her back around the building. He knew his henchmen would take care of the guy who'd threatened her.

Joker was walking as quickly as he could toward the car, just wanting to get her home where he knew she'd be safe, but he wasn't quick enough. Batman popped up in front of him before he could even blink good, causing them both to fall. London hopped up as soon as she was knocked down, already agitated and not exactly thinking straight. She swung at Batman and punched him square in the jaw. He pushed her into a nearby wall with more force than necessary and then turned back to the Joker. "It's over now, Joker." He huffed. "You've got to stop-"

He couldn't finish because London had picked up a nearby gun and hit him in the back of the head with it as hard as she could. He fell down to the ground and she got on top of him, about to hit him again but someone shoved her off. Before she knew it, all she could feel was a bunch of feet punching and kicking at her and then she blacked out.

***

Joker was silently crying now as he thought about how terrible this night had turned out. His daughter was attacked by...By Batman's stupid little cheer squad and now here she was laying in a hospital while they were all out probably celebrating. Well if they thought he was going to let them get away with this they were sadly mistaken! He'd get them back if it was the last thing he did. He'd just make sure that his daughter would be okay first.

"I swear on my life and everyone else's, my little child of rage, that you will be okay. You will wake up. You will live. That bat will die because of me. And more than anything I promise that I won't take your life for granted anymore. I'll make sure you're safe from now on. I promise. I promise." He whimpered.

So many memories were rushing back. Memories from way back when she was born. He remembered how he'd been hesitant to be involved with her from the moment his, ugh, girlfriend at the time mentioned that she was pregnant. He'd begged her to get rid of the kid, begged her to at least put it up for adoption and she refused. Rosa absolutely refused. They'd argued over it the whole time Rosa was pregnant and even right before London was delivered. The answer always remained the same. No.

Then, Rosa gave birth. Joker took one look at London and fell in love. Her eyes were big and he could tell they'd be just like his, and he was right. Her nose was so tiny and adorable- She was so tiny and adorable. He knew he had to keep her. He knew he had to do whatever he could to protect her. He knew that he loved her.

Somehow, as the story would go, Rosa was the exact opposite. London was now not just a thing living in her belly. London was now a human being, one who couldn't defend herself, couldn't do anything without help. London was a baby with an actual life that Rosa and Joker- A lunatic criminal- Was responsible for. London depended on them for everything and if they didn't play their cards right...

It was too much. This was a lifetime commitment, a burden. One that Rosa didn't want to deal with. So she told the Joker that maybe he was right. Maybe it would be best if they gave the baby up and pretended that they'd never had her. He could continue to live his chaotic life and she could continue to live hers. Joker didn't take her up on her offer, of course, so she left instead. Just packed up and ran, never to be found or really even spoken of again.

London had only asked about her mother three times in her entire lifetime. Once when she was three, Once when she was seven and once when she was eight. Other than that...Well Joker was a good enough parent and he stuck around and that's all that London really cared about.

Joker sighed as he remembered when London was four years old. She'd scared him half to death and made him realize that he needed to be more careful. He'd left his gun out on the living room table. He had thrown it onto the table before leaving the room to yell at one of his men for just two minutes. London, always curious, started to fumble around with what she assumed was just another toy. When Joker came back, he nearly fainted. Not only was she playing with a dangerous weapon...She was also giggling as she held it right up to her temple.

He remembered spending that whole night, awake and worried. Somehow, She'd managed to make him cry without doing much of anything. He didn't know why he was crying. Was it because she could've died? Because she reminded him of himself? Because he wanted Rosa back so she could yell at him for fucking up so badly? Because he felt like a terrible dad for the millionth time that day? He'd never know.

Joker remembered when London was eight years old. Wild as ever and always running. Seriously. London didn't walk, skip, hop or trip anywhere, no it was always running that she did. She ran through the house, she ran around the house, she ran from the house. Though it was annoying and often left him without any energy, Joker never said anything. What was the harm in running? Running was a good skill to have at times. One that he didn't have and one that his ex certainly did. He silently hoped that she wouldn't ever run away from him and never come back, but he never said anything about it.

One day, London was running and she fell. She scraped her knee and her chin and she cried like she'd been stabbed a thousand times. Joker remembered running outside, thinking something was terribly wrong. He remembered picking her up and carrying her back into the house, setting her on the counter and kissing her injuries before he got one of his men to patch her up because he didn't know how. He remembered begging her to stop crying over such a silly little thing. The only way he could get her to stop was if he hugged her and didn't let her go for a long time.

Joker cracked a smile at the memories but it didn't last for long. All he wanted was for her to be okay again. He desperately hoped that he'd get to take her home again. He needed to be able to continue to be her dad. The best thing Joker had ever done in his life, his one and only achievement, was being her dad.

Joker was staring at her so intensely that he barely noticed anything else. He barely even noticed when her fingers twitched a little and she sucked in a sharp breath and her eyelids fluttered a little. "Wh-What?" He nearly whispered. "London?"

"I'm gonna kill you." London's throat was dry causing her voice to crack a lot but he understood. Letting out a small breath and a loud cackle, Joker nodded. "After tonight I won't take that threat lightly." He chuckled.

 

***********


End file.
